REMAIN VIGILANT

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has encouraged attacks by hacktivist groups directed against the media.

Awareness and investment in cybersecurity are essential to prevent cyberattacks such as those suffered by these organizations or to mitigate their effects.  That is why I write this column – to keep your vigilant.

S21sec, one of the leading cybersecurity providers in Europe, has published its biannual report, Threat Landscape Report, which offers an overview of the most relevant threats in the first half of 2022. According to the study, the media sector has experienced an increase in cyber threats, malicious activities and incidents against its computer systems in the last six months.

The media and entertainment industry is one of the sectors that generate the most relevance, growth and profit in the world. Its role as a strategic sector has caused the organizations of the industry, to a greater extent the communication groups that encompass various written press services, television and radio networks; to be one of the main targets for ransomware groups, cybercriminals and hacktivists seeking visibility. This notable increase in attacks against the sector responds to various motivations, including cyber espionage or the simple disruption of services.

Russian and Ukrainian media have been victims of the action of organized hacktivist groups that have used the attacks to carry out politically motivated activities such as distributing fraudulent or propagandistic content, interrupting services or stealing information.  Among the most relevant attacks are the hacking of Russian regional television and radio and the one suffered by the video content provider RuTube. “The media of countries involved in the armed conflict have become the target of cybercriminals, who use them as a resource to bring down services and interrupt the chain of information dissemination. The media are a key tool for disseminating messages in a conflict situation”, adds Sonia Fernández.

Through awareness and investment in cybersecurity, the communication industry would avoid a greater number of cyberattacks, or be able to mitigate them more effectively.